Teaching the Unpredictable
by Songbird's Spirit
Summary: Grendel, a Joe, has struggled with her ADHD since she could remember. When she finds herself at risk of being discharged from the Joes for her lack of control she finds that learning sign language could be the answer to her problems. Though it seems that lately the resident ninja has been taking an interest in her and her learning habits... SE x OC
1. Run Like a Freak

**Teaching the Unpredictable**

**Hello readers, if I get any. This is my first GI Joe story so try to be gentle okay. I'm not too familiar with the series besides the newest movies…**

**Ah well whatever I suppose, I'll give my idea a whirl and see how it goes. **

**Enjoy! **

**~o~ Grendel ~o~**

In all my life I had never been more appreciative of my ability to run like a scared rabbit on crack. That said ability was being put to good use at the moment. Just like every other time I pulled a prank, I found myself running from a man codenamed Light-Up as he chased me through the corridors with a Bo-Staff stuck to his palm and thumb.

While we're on the topic of code names mine is Ghost Girl.

Anyway…

Light-Up was usually very friendly and patient with people but right now he was beyond pissed with me right now. I could clearly hear the rapid footfalls hitting the linoleum floor as my instructor tried to catch me.

To clear up any confusion I am part of the Delta level tech squad. To be put simply we were the inventors for the technology used by the Delta level soldiers and sometimes, yet very rarely, the Beta or Alpha soldiers. When I wasn't inventing with my squad, doing grunt work, or training with Light-Up I was usually causing mischief…little pranks and stuff to keep me occupied. Usually none of the little occurrences or jokes was brought up to my commanding officer Staff Sergeant Baker.

My father used to be on the same team as my commanding officer and they had become great friends over the years. Sarge Baker had known me since I was a baby yet I knew I wasn't going to get any sort of leniency for that. What that personal level of growing up with him around got me was greater skepticism and noticeably more frequent trips to his office for a scolding because he expected better of me so that'd I'd one day honor my father by being the best soldier he'd seen in a while…

If anything he was harder on me for that very reason of knowing him so well. I still considered Baker to be a part of the family though and had since I was little. However now that he was my commanding officer I now had to remember to call him sir instead of Uncle BB…BB as in Barnet Baker.

Whatever your opinion is about that I was never actually that terrible or so I assumed. Though…as far as super gluing Light-Up to his personal Bo-Staff goes I was positive that my future was going to consist of an extensive stay in the Hospital Wing then directly to Staff Sergeant Baker's office for a severe scolding.

Yup, this was just another normal day for Corporal Grendel Whimsker of the Delta team's inventor's unit. That would be me if it wasn't clear.

**~o~**

It took two full hour of running from Light-Up before Staff Sergeant Baker broke us up and ordered me to detach Light-Up from his Bo-Staff. When I finished with that he ordered for me to go wait in his office until he got there.

I sighed, knowing full well I was to be scolded when he got there. I couldn't help but cause trouble. My squad was in the middle of the building process for our latest creation. This one was actually going to be put to use by the Alpha Team. However I was restricted to creating blueprints, supplying the ideas, creating the virtual demonstrations, and the building of the smaller devices like a standard hand gun.

My squad had two others a woman near my age whose name was Shannon, codename Upstart, and then a boy older than both of us named Leonidas, codenamed Booker for some reason.

While Upstart was the head of the building of the heavier and bigger projects as well as the science behind the invention, schematics, and discussion of adjustments really. Then Booker was more of a newer addition to what used to be just a team with me and Upstart. So far he was mostly only allowed to do things relevant to tech support and troubleshooting. If the device isn't working right when a soldier uses it he'll tell you exactly what you're doing wrong and show you the right way it is to be used.

Anyway the point I was trying to make was that the device in building now was too big for me to be allowed to help. I was also clear out of smaller projects to work on and nothing needed fixing either. Combine the boredom with ADHD and add a dash of delinquency, mix well, bake, and out pops my situation.

In a nutshell I was bored, hyperactive, and had absolutely nothing better to do.

I began fiddling with the Newton Balls on Baker's desk before I snorted at my situation. "I'm twenty-two, almost twenty-three, and yet I still manage to get sent to the "principal's" office." I hummed amusedly.

Finally the door opened and my commander walked in. I watched as Staff Sergeant Baker walked to the opposite side of the desk and took his seat. He proceeded to put his head in his hands and sighed. For about four to five minutes he stayed that way before he eventually looked up at me with a tired and weary look.

I knew that look. I almost slouched in my seat from knowing I was in for a big rant.

"You know you're in trouble Grendel." He stated.

"Since I can't say I didn't do it…yeah I know I'm in trouble." I agreeably joked as I attempted to lighten the mood.

It didn't really work.

My commander just sighed with annoyance and glared. "Grendel you're about to turn Twenty-Three and yet sometimes you act more like your five. Is that something we commend here in the GI Joe base of operations?" he asked and in a way rebuked my actions.

"No sir it's not…I'll try-." I began to claim to try harder to stay out of trouble when he interrupted me.

"If you keep this up I'll have to discharge you from the Joes." He interrupted flatly.

"WHAT?!" I cried and abruptly stood, knocking my chair over in the process.

"Sit DOWN Corporal!" He thundered.

I scrambled to do so. "Yes sir…" I mumbled as I frantically righted my chair and sat down with my head downcast submissively. There was yet another sigh.

"Knowing you personally Grendel," my commander spoke so I looked up, "You've struggled to control yourself since before grade school and to this day you continue to struggle. Maybe you should take into consideration that you might not be ready enough to handle being a Joe. We're looking for soldiers, not children. We chose you for your incredible ideas and skills in creative inventing. You're making me regret it." He said bluntly.

"I CAN DO IT!" I raised my voice not caring about the consequences, "I just need to find something to focus on when I've got down time or free moments!" I argued my case stubbornly.

"Then you'd better find something fast," my commander glowered, "As punishment you'll mop all the corridors on every level beginning at 0200 hours."

**~o~**

**Please don't be too judgmental on my first story though I appreciate constructive criticism and any tips you'd care to offer. Then again this is only the intro chapter. Things will get better next chapter.**

**Thanks and please review!**

**Songbird 0.o**


	2. A Spark of Inspiration

**Teaching the Unpredictable 2**

**Hi-ya, hope you stuck with the story. First one might be choppy. I have a feeling this one will be better. **

**Woo two reviews and a new follower! I is so happy!**

**Enjoy and such things!**

**~o~ Grendel ~o~ **

I groaned as my alarm clock went off at 0130. Better to get up too early than risk being late then resulting in another scolding. I _**really**_ did not want to be discharged from the Joes. It was insane how much my unmanageable energy affected my mood. I contemplated and tossed different ideas around as I retrieved the mop and the janitor's bucket from the closet.

I began with the upper levels; the Alpha level rooms first so I didn't have to walk back down the stairs and floors that were wet. Made my way to the far end of the corridor and for a few hours it was me, quiet, and the swishing of the wet broom. It was rather calming and kept me focused. I didn't really favor the idea of being pegged as a neat freak because cleaning was the only way I knew how to keep calm during down time.

When I got the section of the Alpha level where the quarters, and private quarters, were I began to be a little quieter. I didn't want to disturb someone so early. They must be tired…

Then I heard movement down one of the corridors. I turned to look and saw a woman with flame red hair and a pretty face seemingly conversing with someone covered in black. He looked familiar in the full body suit…what was his name? I paused and thought hard.

_'That's right, his name is Snake Eyes.'_ I remembered.

I observed for a moment before going back to work. Every now and again I'd glance up at them and then I noticed. They weren't moving their mouths. Then I noticed that they were using standard ASL American Sign Language.

_'Oh, well Snake Eyes doesn't talk so I guess that's useful.'_ I began mopping again. I had heard the running joke about Snake Eyes and his talking habits a few days after I'd first arrived at the GI Joe Egyptian base. Sign language must be useful for the other Alpha members.

Then it clicked. I froze up and grinned. "THAT'S IT!" I exclaimed startling both Snake Eyes and Scarlett. I raced down towards the stairs, skidded, turned around, went back and got the mop and bucket, then sprinted down to the Delta levels as fast as I could while holding a mop and a bucket full of soapy water. I set the stuff beside the door and raced into the lab and all-but tackling Shannon/ Upstart.

"Ghost Girl," she growled, "You know you're not allowed in here during a big project!" she snapped. I sighed as my friend crossed her arms and glared.

"Whatever you prick, I have big news!" I grinned, unable to contain my excitement. I didn't even think twice about the insult. We were near the same age so we found this normal.

It may not seem like it to other people but we had been best friends for a long time her and I. We were more like sisters that intentionally annoyed the other.

"What's the big news?" she asked trying to get the surprise done and over with.

"The answer to my problems, it's sign language!" I nearly burst as I told her.

"I don't follow," she sighed with exhaustion evident in her eyes, "Start from the beginning." She advised.

I proceeded to explain how I needed to find something to occupy myself while I had down time or I faced being discharged. That was what got her listening. I then told her that I saw Snake Eyes and Scarlett using sign language and that it was the answer to my problems!

"How is sign language going to fix everything?" she asked skeptically. I groaned as she still wasn't following.

"I've always wanted to learn sign language and you know full well about how I get when I want to learn something! You could teach me; you know ASL!" I bounced excitedly.

"Yes, yes I know full well about you and your enthusiastic learning habits but I don't have the time to teach you." She mumbled.

I felt myself deflate. "How am I supposed to learn it then? I mean it's perfect!" I pouted.

"Corporal Grendel, I find it hard to believe that you could have already finished mopping the halls." Staff Sergeant Baker called from behind me.

"Sorry Un-err, sir, I just had an epiphany…" I growled and stood at attention.

"Pray tell what epiphany was so important that you had to leave your station." He growled and leaned closer.

"I found the perfect way to occupy myself during down time." I admitted.

NOW he seemed interested. I couldn't blame him, I could be rather annoying but I suppose it hadn't become too urgent until yesterday. He probably was interested in my new way of busying myself solely because it was less of a headache for him.

"What did you decide on?" he asked.

"I thought it'd be fun to try and learn sign language in my down time." I explained.

"That sounds perfect, quiet, and time-consuming. I whole-heartedly approve." He sighed with what sounded suspiciously like relief.

"There's just one teensy little setback commander." And I heard my troublemaking sub-conscious laugh evilly at his suddenly startled expression.

"You tell me exactly what this setback is and I will do _everything_ I can to make sure it's taken care of." He said lowly, almost at a growl, as he leaned in closer to my face.

I gulped. Had I seriously been _that_ bad of a pain in the ass? If this was his reaction I was more of an annoying bitch than I thought…

"Well, there's no-one to teach me since it'd be impossible to have anyone else have the same time off as me all the time and I really don't have any other way of learning." I explained.

"Come, I have the perfect solution." He replied and led me down the hall.

After a moment I spoke up. "Permission to speak freely commander?" I asked.

"Granted." He allowed.

"Can I ask you a question and receive your complete, 100% honest answer?" I asked.

"Of course Corporal." He affirmed.

"Uncle, are you really that desperate to get me to sit down and shut up?" I asked bluntly.

"I say this as nicely as I can…Grendel…yes; I am willing to do just about anything to shut you up by this point." He said rather bluntly.

"That's what I thought." I murmured with a resolved sigh.

We stopped outside a door on the Alpha Level. I wondered if he should really be knocking on any doors this early in the morning but I wisely kept my mouth shut as he, rather rushed mind you, knocked on the door producing a dull tapping sound to reverberate.

The door opened a moment later to reveal Scarlett. She seemed rather surprised to see Staff Sergeant Baker at her door but stood at attention anyway.

"Commander." She stood rigidly.

"At ease." He said.

"What brings you here?" she asked momentarily glancing at me.

While she talked with my commander I nosily, but briefly, glanced at her room out of the corner of my eye and was only a little surprised, and strangely disappointed, to see Snake Eyes sitting on the edge of the bed watching and listening to the conversation. I had the sudden urge to offer a little wave but mentally scolded myself and resisted. He was an Alpha while I was a Delta…though I was treated by some like I was lower than that. It usually resulted in me pranking them…

Poor Lyric, another Joe inventor friend of mine from the Beta Level Inventor's unit, had a crush on the mysterious ninja for a while. Too bad for her he had such an extensive relationship with Scarlett. What a lucky ding dong.

"May I inquire about that Sign Language Book you own?" Baker asked.

"What about it?" Scarlett asked.

"Are you looking to get rid of it by any chance?" he asked.

"Um yes…I'm not in trouble for putting the flyer about that on the bulletin am I?" she asked with a hint of worry.

"Not at all, I need it." He said bluntly.

"You need…it?" she asked.

"Yes, if you still want to get rid of it I'd be more than happy to take it off your hand _right now_." He told her and expressing emphasis on the words _right_ and _now_.

"Um sure," she seemed a little weirded out by his sudden interest in her book but complied nonetheless, "One moment while I go get it."

While she excused herself to get the book I leaned over and whispered to Baker. "As your friend I say this, you're freaking the poor girl out." I said as softly as I could.

"On the field I am not your friend I'm your commander." He hissed back.

"Sir we're in a hallway not the battlefield…I'm a noncombatant anyway." I whispered back to retort.

He gave me a look that clearly said 'watch your mouth' when Scarlett returned with a rather large book. "Here you are commander." She said awkwardly.

"Thank you soldier, sleep well." He nodded and she rather hurriedly closed the door.

He in turn "handed", more like shoved, the book to me…and sighed. "Please try to keep yourself busy with this alright." He removed his cap and tiredly ran his fingers through his hair.

"No worries sir, I'll make good on my learning." I smiled.

"Don't tell me not to worry, it causes me to get paranoid." He told me as for once he dropped the commander stature and talked to me like before I became a Joe…or went into the military at all for that matter.

"Sorry…" I chuckled lightly as we went back down the stairs.

"I need an aspirin." He said rather randomly.

I reached into the pocket of the camo pants I wore and produced a small bottle of aspirin and then offered it to him. He stared at me, then the bottle, then back at me. "Where did you get that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Breaker." I smiled. He was the only Alpha I considered a friend. He's the only male that I ever befriended after he doubted me and received a prank. It was a warming thought to have a new friend. He was rather nice.

"I should've known." He sighed and shook out two pills before returning the bottle. "You still have to clean those halls." He yawned and went back to his office as I froze in the hall mid-stride.

"Aw man…" I moaned.

After stopping at my quarters to drop off the book I unhappily continued my work. I grumbled something about karma as I moved onto the Beta level.

"That book better be worth having to finish my chores at 0600 rather than 0500." I muttered.

I checked the clock. It was 0245 in the morning.

**~o~**

**This one was a little better. It's still choppy but it's my first fiction in this category. I still think it's in some way incorrect in a few aspects…**

**Well whatever…I hope you enjoy it regardless of current errors. That's what editing is for…Maybe it's the terms and the way Grendel is handled by her commander that makes it seem like it's…wrong.**

**Helpful hints please? **

**:/**

**Songbird 0.o**


	3. Fighting like a Street Rat

**Teaching the Unpredictable 3**

**Hello again any readers I've gotten. Hope you've been enjoying the story so far. It's a little choppy but it's got some potential in it. I hope you stick with it until the end! That'd be pretty amazing!**

**Enjoy the mayhem!**

**~o~ Grendel ~o~**

Three days after I received the sign language book I found myself outside my locked room, the were doing security lock checks, with my nose buried in the book for the first time as I tried to remember which signs went to what word. I had a cheat sheet drawn up already, which had taken the better half of three hours, on some copy paper that had some phrases I often used and a few other sentences.

I was surprised I hadn't been contacted to do grunt work yet.

I furrowed my eyebrows even more as I stared harder at the page, completely absorbed in my reading. I knew a bunch of people found it strange that I loved to learn and read as much as I did. Before I became completely absorbed in the book I had noticed some of the strange looks I had received from a few of the other grunts.

I couldn't care less about what they thought of me and reading. I was determined to learn this language. To be honest a long time ago I had tried to learn ASL but had failed because it was years beyond my mental comprehension level. I was going to get it this time though.

I put my bookmark in the page I was on and closed the book. I then tried to recall how you signed _nice to meet you_. I drew a blank halfway through.

With a growl I opened the back of the book where my cheat sheets were and skipped through them for the phrase I was looking for.

**~o~ Snake Eyes ~o~**

I had been watching the Delta level inventor study diligently for about twenty minutes. At first I was only watching her because she had Shannon's book in her possession while she was locked out of her room. She suddenly bookmarked her page and closed the book. She began to sign something.

_Nice to_...

I froze; she couldn't have seen me…had she? She suddenly paused and froze before growling and opening the back cover. She had some smuggled pieces of copy paper stashed there that had been written on. She riffled through them for a moment before scanning a certain page. She set it down and then perfectly signed…

"_Fuck the difficulty of this language." _

I had to actually make an effort to stifle my chuckles at how fluently she'd signed that one crude sentence. She was at least making a commendable effort. I watched her sign some full sentences and some harder ones she only was able to get halfway before she blanked. It was choppy but good for a beginner.

I smiled behind my mask. It was a treasure to watch the process of one learning. I made myself visible though it still was awhile before she looked up and saw me. I watched as the woman jumped from shock. I suppressed another light chuckle as the surprise wore off. She still seemed a little on edge. It was expected with the newer recruits. They still had to learn that the Joes weren't just a group but in a way a family.

She was more than likely still intimidated by me…and the Alpha team in general. "Can I help you?" she asked suddenly.

She sounded a little shy about it rather than rude. '_Cute'_…I thought, slightly amused.

I gestured to the book and tilted my head slightly to the side. She seemed to understand. "I'm trying to learn sign language in my free time instead of causing trouble. I'll get discharged from the Joes if I can't occupy myself." She muttered.

I nodded in understanding and went to the common area to spar with Duke again. After he'd gotten that hit on me during our first fight by tackling I wanted a rematch.

**~o~ Grendel ~o~**

I grunted and growled as I was yet again thrown on my ass during training. "Grendel, get up." Light-Up commanded.

I stuck my tongue out. "Don't want to," I moaned.

"Get…up…" he lowered his voice.

I sighed and shakily got to my feet and grabbed my Bo-Staff. I was able to black and parry a couple more hits until he caught me off guard and shocked my leg…effectively winning the match. He sighed. "Even for a noncombatant you really suck." He sighed.

"I can't use a gun, nor am I very good at hand to hand. I'm an escape artist." I snapped.

It was true. My codename was Ghost Girl for the escape artist thing. I had a Phase Shifter which protected me from bullets and allowed me to phase through walls and floors but did not protect me sound or energy, I had a cloaking device that acted as somewhat of an invisibility shield, and I had implants in my back I could use to fly. I rarely, and I mean rarely, ever used those implants. They took way too much energy and needed to be adjusted to my body size but that meant surgery and I wasn't that desperate.

These were also my second pair of implants that belonged to another person some time ago. My old ones were fitted and I could use them freely but those had been broken beyond repair. These ones were fitted for a 217 pound man while I was a petite 163 pound woman. They were very awkward, hard to control.

I missed flying but I wasn't desperate enough to ask for the surgery. And even if I did ask I wasn't sure if the Medical Bay had the resources or even the time to start or complete the process. I had been a combatant when I had those implants. Now I was stuck only doing inventing and a noncombatant for fear I couldn't complete the job I'd be assigned to.

I threw aside the Bo-Staff in favor of a sword and began sword training with Light-Up. I won a few times against him and smiled as I was better suited for the evenly weighted sword than that giant electrical staff. I momentarily wondered if I'd be better with the staff if it was properly balanced for my size but dismissed my thoughts and focused on the battle when Light-Up nearly struck me and won the match.

**~o~ Snake Eyes ~o~**

For the second time that day I found that woman from before nearby. She was sword training with a Delta-Level trainer I knew as Light-Up. He could be friendly outside combat but he was brutal in training or on the field. I briefly wondered what a noncombatant like her was sword training for but dismissed the thought. I had observed her Bo-Staff skills and heard her speech about being an escape artist.

Her Bo-Staff skills left much to be desired as she seemed more accustomed to evenly balanced and properly weighted weapons than melee combat weapons for standard practice. I could tell her sword was properly weighted for her small size and she had more skill when using it. We did have smaller staffs available. She probably had too much pride to ask the staff to supply her with one.

I nearly rolled my eyes but stopped myself and smiled lightly behind my mask. That was typical greenie behavior. Though, I didn't need to ask for a smaller staff. I had my own properly balanced staff from my personal weapons collection.

I observed her for a little while as she would switch from the sword to a sickle, then the staff to a tessen before going back to her sword then a knife. She finally threw aside the knife and put up her fists. So she was going to try hand to hand? This was interesting. However her instructor seemed to have other ideas.

Light-Up gave a booming laugh and stared at her with a seemingly amused expression. "What exactly are you doing?" he chuckled.

"I want to try hand-to-hand." She said full of determination. When Light-Up laughed again her eyes visibly narrowed.

"Sweet thing you're terrible at hand to hand. Look at your stance." He chortled.

I noticed her stance was terribly off…bad enough to make me cringe. She was at the level of a street rat…I froze. I had been a street rat once though that was a long time ago.

"Maybe I wouldn't be so bad if you'd stop laughing for once and actually try to teach me how to stand at the very least." She fired back.

"So now I need to teach you how to stand little girl?" he snorted.

I winced. That was a low blow. She gave a shout I assumed was a battle cry and lunged at her trainer. He easily caught her and she yelled out in shock as he easily threw her small body clear out of the ring. With a small grunt she landed on her face nearby. Light-Up sighed and stepped from the ring. "Try and stick to weapons and inventing kid. You're not going to learn hand-to-hand from anyone at the level your at." Light-Up commented as he strolled out of the training room.

I observed that her mood seemed to visibly deflate. She picked up her personal sword, got into a proper position, and started with basic parry and striking practices. "When, and how for that matter, am I going to be able to convince someone I can learn hand-to-hand?" she grumbled softly as she practiced.

I found her willingness to learn to be intriguing. She was eager to learn ASL and now she was desperate to learn hand-to-hand. I'd watch her for a while longer. Maybe if she had the right mindset and determination I'd find the motivation to start teaching someone again. Someone besides the Alpha team…

**~o~ **

**I think this chapter was one of the best so far! Hope you enjoyed!**

**Ciao,**

**Songbird 0.o**


	4. Plastic Puddles

**Teaching the Unpredictable 4**

**Wow, you guys are just awesome! I've gotten three more reviews! Thank you to all of the people who gave this story a chance! I enjoy writing them! Thank you so much! I have become slower with my writing but I will finish this story.**

**Onward and writing ho!**

**~o~ **

I growled at the doctor that was wrapping and bandaging my arm. Once again I'd tried hand-to-hand with Light-Up. And just like always I found myself holed up in the Medical Wing with a sprained wrist. I walked out when I received a call from Upstart. She needed help in the Lab. I sprinted to the Lab as fast as I could to find the Alpha Team there waiting.

"What's up Upstart?" I asked as I shimmied into my lab coat.

"Oh, good morning Ghost Girl! Come here, I need your help!" she was grinning.

"Why do I get the feeling I'll be leaving with more than a sprained wrist?" I joked.

She stuck out her tongue. "Ha-ha, very funny you ham." She rolled her eyes and waved me over.

I walked over to find a rather odd sight. Scarlett was glued to the floor. I stared at her. "Alright what happened?" I asked.

"Okay so I was giving a demonstration for the Rail Gun and she was startled by the blast and fell into your work table. Now she's stuck in a puddle of plastic." She explained.

"A puddle of plastic?" I asked.

"The jar of heated plastic you had on your bench for the next experiment. She broke the jar and it dried her." She clarified.

"Oh, well…" I stared at her for a moment, "I'm not sure what to tell ya Hon…" I mumbled.

I thought for a second. "If we could cut you out it'd be more effective and less deadly than reheating the plastic." I murmured.

"Hey ninja boy," Upstart gestured to Snake Eyes, "How about you cut your girlfriend from the puddle."

_'Not my girlfriend.'_ He signed and unsheathed his sword.

"Whatever Snake Eyes…" she snickered as did everyone else in the room.

Snake Eye slouched as a way to show his annoyance before straightening up and cutting Scarlett out of the plastic puddle. I had to hold back snickers as he attempted the cut. I helped out by taking a cutting tool and tracing and cutting away at the plastic. When Scarlett was finally freed she stood and frantically dusted herself off.

"Now that that's over, what exactly did you come here for?" Upstart asked.

"We've been meaning to fix up our van and vehicles for a while now," Breaker began to explain.

"But after the last mission it's impossible. They were demolished." Scarlett continued as she continued to dust herself off.

"We needed to know if you could build our new vehicles." Duke concluded.

"Well of course we could build them but if you had a specific design in mind you need to take that up with Ghost Girl over there." Upstart gestured to where I was bent over my desk trying to heat up the plastic into a new jar.

"Thank you." Heavy Duty nodded as they made there way over to where I was sitting.

I was hunched over trying and failing to perfectly heat up the plastic again. They came up behind me and I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see the Alphas staring at me expectantly. I stared back. "Uh…yeah?" I asked.

"So you make the blueprints?" Ripcord asked.

"Honey I made the blueprint for pretty much everything in this lab." I chuckled.

"Whoa…" Duke murmured.

"So what can I do for you?" I asked resting my hands on my hips.

"We need a blueprint made for a new vehicle." Scarlett sighed.

"No offense but why are you asking me and not the Alpha Lab Members?" I asked.

"They're holed up and on strike. We've been asking too much of them were their protests. We need to ask someone else…At least that's their reasoning" Roadblock sighed.

"Well alright, I need a list of preferred weapons, controls, functions, tech, gears, accessories and anything else you'd prefer on a assault vehicle." I listed as I counted off on my fingers.

I looked up to find her the whole team gawking at me. "What?" I asked.

"You're sure you can add everything?" they asked.

"Honey there is nothing I can't design that Upstart can't build in return. I handle the miniature stuff while Upstart handles the big projects that I design." I explained.

"Could you build me a gun?" Duke asked.

I shifted uncomfortably. "Okay, I can design you a gun but I am forbidden to build it for you." I sighed.

"Who forbade you?" Shipwreck asked.

"The whole lab, Staff Sergeant Baker, and General Hawk." I listed.

They stared. _'Why are you banned?'_ Snake Eyes signed.

I stared. "Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm guessing Snake Eyes is asking why I'm banned?" I muttered.

"Yes…" Scarlett trailed off.

"Whenever Ghost touches a gun and pulls the trigger it explodes!" Upstart called.

They gaped at me. "Why does it do that?" Flint asked looking unnerved.

"I had my fingers blown off in an experiment once and I had to get something put in them to make sure they'd stay on when they were thankfully reattached. The metal messes up the machinery in guns, because of the specific magnetic properties, and causes a rather explosive malfunction. It only happens if I touch it so keep all guns out of my reach okay…" I explained.

"Is it only with guns?" Heavy Duty asked.

"Um yeah, I can touch anything but a gun and acid…or any other potentially life threatening substances." I joked.

That got a laugh out of them and the tension seemed to ease a little. "Well enough about me, what're you looking for in an assault vehicle?" I asked.

**~o~ Three Hours Later ~o~**

I moaned and dropped my head onto my desk with a rather loud thunk. I had been going over different blueprint designs for the assault vehicle. The Alpha team certainly expected a lot out of us. All in all I was expecting this project to take about a month. They wanted detachable vehicles, mounted guns, oil slickers, various assault bombs, interchangeable tire treads, interior command controls, countless gears, a high undercarriage, bullet proof exteriors, and the best engine we could get our hands on. It was arguably one of the most difficult projects we'd ever had.

It was incredibly difficult to add in everything and make it look good and organized all at the same time. The door to the lab swished open and shut. Everyone was accounted for. I looked up to see a ninja…out ninja coming over with two cups. He went over to Upstart which she thanked him for and then came over to me and offered me a cup. I took it and had a sip. My eyes nearly rolled back in gratefulness as the warm coffee swished down my throat.

"Thank you Snake Eyes. We needed that." I smiled.

He gestured to the various papers scattered across my workspace. I sighed. "This is going to be a difficult design to organize. This design has a lot of parts to organize and fit together. It'll take a while before I can fully make a workable design to tinker and work with." I told him.

He signed something too fast for me to catch. I stared at his hands. "Could you repeat that a bit slower?" I requested a little embarrassment evident in my tone.

_'How long is a while?'_ he signed slower.

"It may take a few hours up to a day before I can fit a workable design. Now whether or not this thing will fit on the road is another story." I joked.

A small breathy sound was audible as he tried to suppress his laughter. I chuckled. He wasn't as bad as I made him out to be after all.

**~o~**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed. I know it's short but I'm still getting the creative ball rolling while trying to drag my muse out from under the bed. **

**She's shy and it's annoying ;)**

**Gotta Bounce,**

**Songbird 0.o**


	5. A Scoop of Heart

**Teaching the Unpredictable 5**

**Yes, yes I know I'm a little late to update but thanks to all my reviewers I really want to continue this story all the way to the end! I didn't think this many people would take an interest in this story. But thanks for proving me wrong!**

**On with the story!**

**~o~ Grendel ~o~**

I do not enjoy being thrown on my face…at all. It's not the nicest feeling in the world. God damned ninjas…maybe I should explain. Okay, so basically everyone in the GI Joe, even the noncombatants have to go through military grade sparring and hand-to-hand evaluations. Every time Snake eyes is the opponent. I was currently getting my tiny white ass whooped by Snake Eyes while the other soldiers laughed from the sidelines. After being thrown on my face yet again, this being the fourth time, I stood up and flipped the other men the bird before looking to the commander. I had already been bested three times, which was the limit, and now that number had been bumped up to four.

Sergeant Stone sighed and without looking up from his clipboard said, "Choose a weapon."

I inwardly growled as Snake Eyes "generously" gestured for me to choose first. I glumly sidled over to the weapons rack. I knew this was a graded evaluation but I needed something fresh. I had used every weapon on the rack already. A new weapon would provide an appreciated clean slate. I scanned the rack and out of my peripheral vision spotted something that made me grin.

You know those wide-brimmed shovels with the wide, and I mean wide, scooping end? One of those was leaned against the nearby wall unused. My ADHD was begging me to use it and I listened which as always confused everyone. I walked over and picked up the shovel. I didn't matter. Snake Eyes was never beaten…ever…so why can't I be spontaneous and use a shovel as a weapon? Besides…

I hadn't pulled something in weeks…My subconscious was just about to die from lack of mischief. But of course Staff Sergeant Baker was against my…enthusiastic decision.

"Corporal Grendel, a shovel is not a weapon." Baker sighed.

"It is now." I retorted, determined to make a stand.

Snake Eyes stared at me, or what I guess was his staring look, as everyone else was seemingly appalled by my gall. The men on the sidelines silently oohed and awed at my defilement of Baker's statement.

"Corporal," Baker snapped!

"Cool it Baker," Sergeant Stone chuckled and laid a hand on his shoulder; "Let's see where this goes."

Snake Eyes didn't seem to know how to react to my weapon of choice and Baker seemed annoyed with my spontaneity. But I felt confident with my weapon's choice…granted my weapon was a shovel…Oh fuck it…

Snake Eyes stuck with his sword. "Begin," Stone smiled.

I charged first, never do that, and swung. As expected the ninja cleanly dodged it and I had to dodge a few strikes of his own and a few managed to get in a good clean cut. But when I dodged another strike and managed to whip around and smash the flat end of the shovel head into the side of the ninja's noggin I wanted to do a victory dance. Discarding the shovel I pounced on the dazed ninja's back. He was staggering from the blow to the head and after a bit of throwing my weight around I managed to pin him down by sitting on him. Granted if I hadn't dazed him none of that would have happened.

The other soldiers were whooping in joy at the sheer fact that someone, a girl for that matter, had managed to finally pin the black clad ninja down. "Good job Corporal Grendel; go wash up." Sergeant Stone smiled. He began to laugh and shake his head.

"Thank you sir," I said as I got off the ninja and helped him up. "Are you alright?" I asked.

He nodded and shook my hand in a congratulatory way. I chuckled. "Thanks Snake Eyes." I smiled and left the Training and Sparring Room.

I went to the woman's wash racks and took a nice warm shower to relax my muscles and when I was done and dry I changed into casual clothing. I wore a black shirt decorated with a silver cogwheel design, a camouflage army jacket, jeans, and combat boots. After I got done dressing down I walked over to the mirror and fishtailed my brown hair over one shoulder and left the wash racks to go to the wash room to do my laundry. I didn't expect to see Scarlett waiting outside for me.

"Hi…" I smiled awkwardly. _'I really hope I didn't piss this chick off in some way,'_ I thought with a mental groan.

"Hey, so you beat Snake Eyes," she said it as more of a statement than a question.

"Well yeah," I rubbed the back of my head and mentally swearing that if I was an anime character that I'd be sweat-dropping right now.

"Good job; you're the girl drawing up our assault vehicle plans right?" she asked.

"Yeah," I nodded, "I finally completed the design."

She seemed surprised. "Oh, well…then may I see the design." She requested.

"I guess so," I shrugged, "follow me."

As we walked on my ADHD was begging me to ask Scarlett about her relationship with Snake Eyes. I resisted asking for about another minute. "So what's going on between you and Snake Eyes?" I asked trying to seem nonchalant.

Right after I asked the question Scarlett tripped and crashed into me sending us both to the ground. Only an instant later she was back on her feet standing over me as I lay sprawled on the ground. The look on her face screamed that she was shocked and well…a little livid. "What?!" she cried.

I slowly picked myself up off the ground and gave her a look and was met with her cold glare. I stared in confusion, trying to stay calm. "You're with Snake Eyes right?" I asked.

"What? NO! I'm with Ripcord…I think…" she trailed off.

"So you're not sure if you're with your boyfriend and Snake Eyes is single?" I asked rather bluntly.

"Kind of…I mean it's like…traditional to ask the girl to be your girlfriend…right?" she asked me and I nodded, "Well yeah, he hasn't done that…even though he tries to be all smooth and flirtatious…" there was a pause, "And with Snake Eyes forget it, he's not going to find a girl here." Scarlett sighed.

I stopped and fought to resist the ADHD hyper powered urge to give her the most fiery death glare I'd ever given and pounce on her. No woman is ever gonna tell me a man can't find a lady to hold!

Err…that was something my uncle used to preach to his son, my cousin…my mom doesn't let me hang around either of them too much.

"And just why can't Snake Eyes find a girlfriend." I inquired rather icily.

Scarlett either ignored my change of tone or didn't catch it because she didn't hesitate to think about her reply at all…that could mean she either was really set on her answer or she was about to give me an extremely opinionated reply…

"It's not that he can't, per say, it's just not in his nature. Snake Eyes has never actually had a girlfriend before from what I can piece together. There was this one girl, Myraa, he used to tell me about but that was years ago. Other than that he's just not interested in dating…my guess is he either doesn't want a girl or one just hasn't caught his eye." She shrugged indifferently.

"But I wonder why…I mean the two of you are so close!" I pressed.

"I know we are but him and I…it's like he doesn't want to change things. If anything I knew about him was ever set in stone…it'd be the sole fact that when he has an opinion on something it's next to impossible to change…not impossible but next to it. Snake Eyes tends to think weird things about if we ever got together." She began to ramble.

I stared at her for a moment before abruptly interrupting her. "I have no idea what you're talking about so I'm just going to go ahead and ask you if you're making this shit up?" I said.

She gave me a look I couldn't quite place before looking ahead and answering. "No, I've known Snake for…gosh, such a long time. The bond we built is…unbreakable. But…neither of us really want to change it…I think…neither one of us is ready to…see each other as something completely different; …not after having such a…close brother sister kind of relationship." She murmured.

"So you've seen each other as family for so long it'd be difficult for such a dramatic change so quickly…?" I asked.

"In a way yes…" she nodded.

"Scarlett, I mean this as nicely as possible when I say that has got to be one of the most cheesy things I have ever heard…even counting all the dumb ass chick flicks one of my former friends used to drag me to." I replied.

She just stared at me for the longest time. "You sure aren't afraid to speak your mind are you." She commented with a flat tone.

"Sorry it's just…I mean everyone knows how you and Snakes have this long time "friend" relationship but you just told me the only reason you can't get together was because it'd be awkward to think of each other in a…dare I say it…loving way?" I said with a grin… "Scarlett my ADHD would have a mental breakdown if I didn't flat out say that the dramatic way you put that was cheesy; it was beautiful and inspiring, but still cheesy."

Scarlett seemed to think about it before she giggled a little bit. "Yeah I guess it is a little weird. Maybe I'm just fooling myself. Admittedly, I don't think I could see myself with him as a husband. He was originally supposed to keep me safe as a last request but we just became friends. I see him more like the…older brother in the corner of the room polishing a gun like the dad in one of those first time bringing your boyfriend home scenarios." She muttered.

"Scarlett," I said and she looked at me, "I UNDERSTAND!" I exaggerated playfully.

Instead of giving me another odd look she just laughed. "Alright, moving on." She chuckled.

_ 'Fucking liar, she totally has hots for Snake Eyes!' _my stubborn subconscious barked.

I merely told her to stuff it and with a little arguing she was quietly grumbling in the back of my mind. Only after Scarlett and I had arrived at the lab and I had begun sifting through my blueprints for the one of the assault vehicle did I ponder at the fact that I might have an issue. I kept freaking talking to myself. I paused briefly before shrugging and going back to looking for the blueprint. Who was I to complain, the little voice kept me entertained.

At last I located the blueprint and handed it to her. As she scanned over it I noticed the design. The design was a work of art but it was a pain to explain. The body was a sort of cross between the orange Lotus design from the hot wheels cars and the HW40 car design that was also from Hot Wheels but an anniversary celebration…yeah I did not play with Barbie Dolls when I was little. I played with Hot Wheels with the other boys in my neighborhood.

Admittedly I still loved Hot Wheel, video games, cartoons, and some kid's things…unfortunately the base doesn't get cartoon channels…not that I looked through all the channels for them specifically or anything. I just happened to notice it when I couldn't find anything good to watch on my down time in an empty Rec. room.

Yeah, moving on…

She nodded appreciatively at the curved design and the entry. The only big thing in the design was that there weren't any doors but a cockpit sort of top that was made of the same glass as the heavy duty dogfight jets. Inside the cockpit was a spacious area that was just like the over-the-top, tricked out, pimped, and overly-intricate designed assault vehicle I was known for…

Okay so I have a teensy little problem when it comes to the little stuff…I tend to kind of…go over the top. But it's not that bad…

Okay it's bad, but not _that _bad.

It was twenty minutes later by the time Scarlett left and I completed a small side request for a Beta team member. I yawned and then smiled. Even though I felt tired I was feeling strangely energized from the excitement of having completed a project and showing off a successful design to a please team that was higher in the ranks than my unit and I. Even said, I was eager to go to my quarters and study a little more from my ASL book. After shimmying out of my lab coat and gathering my stuff in a pack I left the lab tog go to my room.

In my rush to my room I accidentally cut a few people off while they were walking. Their yells were quickly left in my dust as I zipped down the different hallways and finally came to my room. Well actually I just got near the door before I spotted a certain ninja standing in front of it.

**~o~**

**Well the update was less than a week apart at the very least. I hope you enjoyed and please review! **

**Gotta Bounce,**

**Songbird 0.o**


	6. A Short Escapade

**Teaching the Unpredictable 6**

**Okay, so I will say this now since I didn't say it last time. I do not own GI Joe, Hot Wheels, GI Joe characters, or the Hot Wheels designs. I do own my Oc's though. They are mine so don't touch m'kay?**

**Anyway, I hope all of you have been enjoying the story though most seem to be a fan of the fave, follow, and run method. I don't blame you though since I'm guilty of it myself. Guilty as charged so thanks for the reviews I do get. **

**It's so nice to get feedback.**

**~o~ Grendel ~o~**

I really didn't know how to react. Besides the fact we were building the alpha team assault vehicle, he brought Upstart and I coffee, I somewhat kicked his ass in evaluation, and an occasional hello or him inquiring about my American Sign Language process we hadn't really interacted. It may have been a more than five times but that's not enough to say I know him.

'_So why the fuck is he over there in front of my door?'_ I thought to myself.

'_Why don't you shimmy on over there and find out you twit?'_ my subconscious rolled her eyes.

For once I followed my subconscious's suggestion and walked forward. When I got close enough the ninja acted all surprised, at least he tried to incorporate that notion into his body language. He was acting as if he truly just acknowledged my presence and stood from his lean against my door.

_'The ninja is such a 'great' actor…don't ya think?' _my subconscious sarcastically scoffed.

I told her to stuff it. Sometimes I wondered if I should be scared that she's the little voice in the back of my mind. Though I still had problems remembering to tell her to shut it mentally…too often I yelled at her out loud…not a great way to make friends on your first day in a new military sector…

"Can I help you?" I asked and noted that this was like the third time I greeted him this way.

The ninja handed me a notepad and I looked down to find the page partially scrawled on in somewhat crude handwriting. 'Do you honestly have the determination to learn hand-to-hand?' It read.

I looked up at him. "I do want to learn at least something with it…I used to be a combatant in fact…" I mused aloud and off subject.

He snapped his fingers sternly to get my attention. I jumped and came back to reality before sighing. "What?" I asked.

'Pay attention,' he signed slowly but strictly so I could follow and gestured to the notepad. I handed it to him.

After some more scrawling on the paper he shoved it back to me. Taking a moment to study him I noticed that he was looking pissed. "Are you alright?" I asked and he looked at me. I gulped, thoroughly intimidated.

"You just seem pissed is all." I muttered.

He jerkily spun around the other way and sulked. So an angry ninja wanted to talk to me. How lucky can I get? I looked down at the words and read, 'I will train you but I need something from you in return.'

"Alright, I can give your training a go, but what do you need?" I asked.

He turned back at me and snatched my wrist before dragging me down the hall.

'_I wonder why he's so mad.' _I thought.

'_Who knows, maybe it's a ninja thing.' _My subconscious suggested.

"Somehow I doubt that's it." I replied out loud by accident.

'_Well if you're so smart, what do you think is going on?' _she snapped.

'_You need to find a happy place, you could use it.' _I told her mentally.

'_Whatever…what's going on?' _she demanded.

'_We'll have to wait and find out.' _ I rolled my eyes.

Finally we stopped and I found we were in the Alpha Level Rec. Room with a video game of Slender going on. I was surprised they had it on their Xbox. Ripcord and Duke were on the couch and noticed Snake Eyes and I standing there. Ripcord suddenly smirked at Snake Eyes.

"So you're back for another ass-whooping aren't you." He snickered.

I looked around the room and found Scarlett standing off to the side looking exasperated. "Scarlet, what's going on?" I asked.

"Ripcord beat Snake Eyes 11-0 at Slender." She told me.

I must have looked confused because she went on to say, "Rip collects more pages than him every time." She sighed.

"What's your record?" I asked Rip.

"Six pages." He said proudly.

I snorted. "Watch this chick get all eight." I grinned evilly.

**~o~ Snake Eyes ~o~**

I leaned against the wall undetectably nervous. Ghost Girl, as her codename provided, was at six pages and was moments away from being able to beat Ripcord. He was also nervous. However the Slender Man kept popping up everywhere scaring even me sometimes…I turned to Scarlett and tapped her shoulder for her attention. She turned her head to look at me. 

'What twisted soul made this game?' I signed.

Scarlett actually snorted from the effort to silence her snickers. "Even for you, Snake Eyes, that was really out of character. But I don't know who made it actually…" she murmured and then we both jumped.

Ghost Girl and Duke had suddenly begun hooting, hollering, and jumping up and down. Apparently while I had been talking to Scarlett, Ghost Girl had gotten a seventh page which effectively beat Ripcord's score. She quickly jumped a little when her character stood for too long and got caught by the Slender myth. She laughed and then shrugged.

"It ain't no eight pages, but if I end up with seven I'll take it anyway." She chuckled.

I sighed and then looked up to see her watching me. "Is this what you needed me to do or was there something else?" she asked.

I shook my head to say no and quickly, but slow enough for her to catch, signed, "I will arrive tomorrow morning to give you your test."

She seemed disappointed that the Slender Man game wasn't the test but quickly shrugged it off and stood up to stretch. "Well whatever then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning." She shrugged and left the Rec. Room. I watched her go.

I still had yet to choose an appropriate test for the girl to take. It had to challenge her and it had to make her work. I could always choose something easy, for me at least, like running for an hour at full speed on the treadmill. But I had the strangest hunch that something like that wouldn't challenge the girl very much at all. I leaned against the wall thinking hard. I thought of quite a few things but something just kept niggling me in the back of the head that made me say no.

Finally I did sigh in frustration.

'Maybe I should just fight her if I can't decide on anything sensible.' I mentally snapped at that little sensation in the back of my mind.

For some reason simply fighting her, as an evaluation of her potential, seemed satisfactory enough for the annoying indecisive feeling to fade away. I straightened up and quietly left the Rec. Room with a brief backwards glance at Scarlett. I didn't think Ripcord was good enough for. For some reason I mulled over the thought of having a girlfriend for a few brusque seconds.

_'That's absurd; I don't have any interest in anyone here like that. Maybe I felt that way for Scarlett at one point but not anymore…not after so long…she's a big girl who wants a family, a husband who can be there for the kid's soccer or baseball games, a dad with a job where he can come home to the family every night…I don't think I could give her all that she wants…or deserves…'_ I pondered for a while.

I released a grumble of exhaustion once I made it inside the sturdy walls of my quarters. I had a long day tomorrow. After a while I found myself in front of the mirror looking over my scarred features. The scar over my eye and down my cheek…the one over my lips…the one that cut into my hairline where the rest lay hidden…and the ones crisscrossing my right cheek…maybe I'd be better without the scars and just as a normal man with shaggy blonde hair that was in desperate need of a trim and abnormally sharp blue eyes that earned me my name.

A high jaw and teeth kept as cleanly as possible with the sparingly used toothpaste that I still had…

Broad shoulders and a naturally muscular build both from growing and the countless hours of training, working out, muscle building, and grueling work…more one than the other…

A tall height of over six feet with and an unintentionally, but naturally, intimidating posture…

A black full body suit to hide the scars…and the man beneath the fabric…a man that was so closed off from communication…

A man who hid his face…his desires and his wants…his lusts and his words…oh how he hid his words…but not as much, no never as much…as he hid the pain beneath the suit and even inside the man in the suit. The pain in both places…in the suit and in him…

He hid…but it had to be worth it…

It all had to be worth it…

It…it just had to be…

**~o~**

**Poor Snake Eyes…**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH OH MY GOD SO MANY PEOPLE FAVS AND FOLLOWS! YESH…THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

**:3 LOVE U ALL!**

**REVIEW PLEASE **

**Gotta Bounce,**

**Songbird 0.o**


	7. Training in Turbo

**Teaching the Unpredictable 7**

**So, it's been awhile since the last update; over a month really. I don't really have any excuse other than the fact that I've been trying to update all the other stories I have since I've been slightly neglecting them. So anyway, here's the update, as promised, for my lovely readers. **

**I probably should've tackled this a few days ago when I was in this super-nerd-geek-writing-turbo-ultra mode. That might have helped. But, no matter, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Just to clear any confusion up I'm going off Snake Eye's flashback age so he's about…somewhere between 28 and 31…Grendel's 22 now…so…let's say a seven year age difference huh?**

**It's 2015 just so you know.**

**~o~ Grendel ~o~**

I woke up early that next morning and stretched. I did not want to lose to Snake Eyes…even though I knew very good and well I would probably get my ass whooped again. But, stretching was healthy so why not? I immediately strode over to my nightstand and opened the drawer. When my needed item was not on top of everything else like it usually was I began to panic. I frantically threw everything in the drawer aside and went into frenzy when it wasn't in there or in any of the random piles.

_'Where is it, where is it, where is it?!'_ I thought frantically.

_ 'Where is it Grendel?!' _my subconscious screamed.

"I DON'T KNOW!" I howled and began rapidly dashing around the room searching every nook, cranny, and tiny spot it could be.

To make matters much, much worse there was an angry knock on the door. I checked the clock and nearly shrieked. I had been in a panicked frenzy for half an hour. I was late for my time with Snake Eyes. I supposed I didn't get to the door fast enough because the moment I reached to let whoever it was in, the door opened, obviously by being hacked, to reveal the tall and intimidating ninja who looked, posture-wise, less than pleased.

However my hysterical rampage did a number on my look apparently, because the anger seemed to seep out of Snake Eyes after about twenty seconds.

'What's going on? What happened?' he signed slowly.

"They're gone! I can't find them and if I can't," I whimpered, "Ooohhh, today's going to suck if…if…" I collapsed to my knees and began to sob.

I, uh, I happen to be somewhat of an emotional person when undedicated. Snake Eyes didn't know what was going on, but he seemed to catch onto the fact that whatever it was it was important. He knelt down beside me and after some hesitation he awkwardly squeezed my shoulder. Without thinking, since I'm impulsive, I threw my arms around him and bawled.

After a moment Snake Eyes leaned back and then tapped my shoulder. With teary eyes I pulled back as he held up my prescription stimulant ADHD medication and pointed to it questioningly. The tears immediately stopped as I snatched the bottle out of his hand, fast enough to startle him and I jumped to my feet.

"Oh my god; thank you SO MUCH!" I jumped up and down excitedly and dashed out of the room still in my black pajamas decorated with little silver cogwheels.

Snake Eyes was hot on my heels as I dashed to the mess hall, grabbed a glass of water, and downed two pills. Before dashing past Snake Eyes, running all the way to my room without stopping, throwing open the door, and shoving Snakes out when he tried to follow me inside.

"Out, out, out, I'm dressing!" I cried and quickly put on a neon orange sports bra, athletic Bermudas, and pulled on my tennis shoes before tying up my hair in a braid and bursting out the door. Snake Eyes visibly jumped as I spontaneously dashed through into the hall. I grinned up at him, lightly gasping for air.

"Ready!" I chirped.

**~o~ Snake Eyes ~o~**

Admittedly I was slightly weirded out by Ghost Girl as she cheerfully skipped beside me. I was taking my time getting to the gym though, as it seemed the longer I took the calmer she'd become. It was now very obvious the woman had ADD…or ADHD. I suspected it before but I hadn't been entirely sure. Now I was. I had never seen anyone switch emotions so fast…well…like she had at least. Then there was the dashing around so early in the morning.

However it was easy for me to tell that even though Ghost was wide awake and more than ready to tackle the day she was not aware of her surroundings nor was she very alert to other people. She hadn't even seemed to notice when she nearly bowled over Sgt. Splint. And Sgt. Splint…he was huge…taller than me with arms built like bowling balls and as muscled as a gorilla…he was impossible to miss.

Strangely enough though, Sgt. Splint didn't seem angry. He just shook his head…knowingly. I knew Sgt. Splint did some evaluations for the more advanced recruits that would pass regular evaluations with unfair experience and advantages but I was sure he hadn't done that with Ghost Girl…right?

When we finally arrived at the gym Ghost Girl asked if she could do some stretching and run a few laps around the gyms first. Even though she'd already done the impressive feat of running from her room to the mess hall and back at top speed without stopping I nodded in allowance. It couldn't hurt…I hoped it couldn't.

"Snake Eyes," a voice came from behind me.

I didn't jump but instead calmly turned around, guard slightly rose in case of an attack from an overly confident greenie with something to prove but that was not the case. Behind me, was none other than Sgt. Splint himself. I stood rigidly at attention and he chuckled. "At ease soldier." He commanded and I relaxed.

No one dared to defy Sgt. Splint. He could easily make your life miserable if you crossed him, or he use the unorthodox method of throwing you nine yards. He could use the unorthodox method at will unfortunately…

"You're training Grendel aren't you?" he said.

I pointed to Ghost Girl questioningly. He nodded in confirmation and I, in turn, nodded my head in affirmation to his question. He laughed out loud with a booming voice.

"You have to be very determined Snake Eyes. I used to try and teach her to fight." Sgt. Splint sighed, "She used to be a great fighter…"

I gestured to him questioningly. "Grendel," he called over to Ghost Girl who waved cheerfully, "Did you tell Snakes why you are a noncombatant?" he asked.

"No…" she mumbled.

"Come here." Sgt. Splint commanded.

In that moment, Ghost Girl actually gave off the appearance of a mature woman who acted her age. She seemed tired and knowing…or maybe she simply gave off the vibe that she knew what was about to happen. Whatever the cause, I was impressed by the sudden gain of maturity. She calmly stopped and stood rigidly at attention. She had this resigned expression…like she knew she couldn't prevent what was about to happen…but the question was…what exactly _was _about to happen.

"Do you know why she stopped being a combatant Snake Eyes?" Sgt. Splint asked.

I shook my head to deny I knew the reason.

"Well, let's see where to start…?" he murmured.

I held up my hands in a 'hold-it' gesture. _'Why do I need to know this Sergeant?'_ I signed.

"He asked why he needs to know this." Ghost Girl translated.

"Yes Grendel, I can understand sign language." He chuckled and then turned to me, "Grendel's reason is a little…different I guess." Sgt. Splint mused.

**~o~ Later that Day ~o~**

I had postponed my personal evaluation of Ghost Girl until a later date. Sgt. Splint gave me a history file called Project: Phantom. I was going through the records now.

_Project: Phantom _

_Date: October 10__th__, 2010_

_Testing: In Progress _

_Entry 1_

_Staff Sgt. Baker has brought in the 14__th__ subject for the testing in to the lab today. A girl by the name of Grendel Whimsker was the subject. Grendel was unplanned though, as we had to resort to asking new military recruits to participate in subject testing. She was the only willing candidate and she's lucky we have nearly perfected the experiment after so many…tragic fails. It may take some time to complete the equipment in the girl's measurements so a few minor tests will be able to be performed in the mean time. _

_I find it most curious to the fact that Staff Sgt. Baker has a history with Grendel's father on a more…friendly level. One can only wonder of Baker said something to her._

_End of Entry 1, Dr. Drew Lent _

_Entry 2, Day Two_

_Ah yes, hello I am Dr. Frays. Today I performed a small questionnaire with Test Subject 14 Grendel Whimsker. I asked her small questions like her favorite color, Indigo, or things like her favorite place on earth, she answered the familiar places. Then I got into her military life. She said she wanted to join because she was going nowhere fast academically…which was strange considering she aced the military entry exam. She didn't believe she had a chance to go into the areas of the careers she was interested in because of her poor schooling grades and discipline reports. Then I asked her why she was willing to go into testing and I was surprised at her answer._

"_I didn't feel like failing again."_

_When I asked her to elaborate further she had this to say._

"_I knew I wouldn't pass the military training," she said and gestured to her body, "I'm very weak and I refuse to handle a gun. I wouldn't have gotten very far in the camp and I would have more than likely been sent home to a disappointed father. So testing was my "heavens gateway"." She sighed._

_I find this rather ironic as she could very likely die from experimentation. However, even though it's only the second day she has already taken to the 12__th__ test subject, Matthew Rings, who's been bedridden ever since his failed experimentation. He will, more than likely, be cursed to remain in that bed until the day he dies due to the fact he could easily die in the unstable world outside the lab that would negatively effect his condition. _

_However he and Grendel seem to get along very well. I am hoping that this social advancement in the labs will encourage her to work harder…as Matthew was the hardest worker we've had yet._

_End of Entry 2 Day 2, Dr. Frays _

I was only a little surprised when Entry 3 wasn't the very next day.

_Entry 3 Day 16_

_I'm Coach Riley. My job was originally to press Grendel to her limit in her training but apparently all I can do is observe and correct. That Matthew kid, my star pupil, grew close with Grendel and convinced her to work hard for him and train. The girl is pushing her limitations already. Her limits are pitiful even so. Her endurance is incredibly low as is her stamina. She can only run at top speed for three minutes and her physical strength was laughable. I now understand why she told Dr. Frays she knew she's never complete Military Camp, much less the academy. _

_But if she keeps up with her pace now she could very well accomplish many things and get stronger in a short amount of time. Above all, I am more pleased with her personality that of which is comprised of a large amount of determination and ambition. It seems that she has taken her promise of getting stronger to Matthew to her heart. It doesn't appear she will give in to exhaustion easily._

_I am pleased and I look forward to observing her advancements in physical strength._

_End of Entry 3, Day 16_

I was surprised. So Ghost Girl was accepted into the military through Project Phantom. One could immediately see the similarities between Ghost Girl's codename and the project name, Phantom. If the project was so important to Ghost Girl that her codename related to it I could only wonder what lied at the heart of Project Phantom. What had it done to Ghost Girl and why did I need to know this? How did this affect her fighting skills?

I guess I had to read to find out.

**~o~**

**Okay, so this is way overdue. So, what did you think? Pretty good, just okay, really bad, took a turn that made the story unbearably cliché and out of proportion? I'd like to know.**

**So, feedback's nice and I'll try to get to everyone's reviews after this chapter. The next chapter however, is mostly comprised of the entries during the lab. I hope I didn't disinterest you at all. **

**Thanks for all the support!**

**Roses are Red, **

**Violets are Blue,**

**I liked the story,**

**And I know did too,**

**Without further ado,**

**I will say this to you,**

**Please be an Angel,**

**And leave a Review!**

**Gotta Bounce,**

**Songbird 0.o**


	8. Entries of the First Degree

**Teaching the Unpredictable 8**

**Enjoy the latest chapter and thank you to readers and reviewers! I appreciate any support or constructive criticism thrown my way!**

**~o~ Snake Eyes ~o~**

I flipped through the pages for the next entries and sighed. Many of these were about her progress and her abilities. However, I began to take interest at Entry 12 Day 137. But…what was the point of all of this. What would this be helping? I decided there was only one person I could ask. Even though I knew I did not want to do this. I weighed my options and then growled.

_'This is a one-time thing Snake Eyes,'_ I thought to myself, _'It never has to happen again…' _

But did I really…why should I…was there…

I just sighed. I was curious as to what happened but I had a small uncertain suspicion that this would all be for nothing and I'd just be sticking my nose in the past of a girl I hardly knew and couldn't even officially call my student…so I'd just be learning things I was never intended to know.

I came to a decision. I'd read through these and ask Grendel about it later. I didn't know her well enough to let her in my quarters as I read her files. Even if I did know her I would not be friends with her…it'd be solely a teacher discussing with student conversation. I did not believe I'd ever allow her in here…

I shook myself from my musings and began to read the next few entries.

_Entry 12 Day 137,_

_This is Dr. Frays again. My evaluations of Grendel have further interested me. The devices are almost done and ready for testing but overall I am very interested in her incredible increase in endurance, stamina, agility, and strength. Another peak of interest of mine in her is her ever-deepening friendship with Matthew. This is the happiest I've ever seen him and Grendel's moral noticeably increases when she's with him. Her social life is very healthy._

_Now, I do have a concern. The girl has what I call an 8 / 10 scale of ADHD. Her rank from 1, being minor ADHD, to ten, being worst case scenario, she is an eight. However one would not know if not told. Her records indicate she takes a combination of strong medication and a stimulant pill every morning and keeps the time and such consistent with intake. I do wonder how she would react if we removed the medication and had her train and evaluated her then. It is an acceptable question._

_End of Entry 12 Day 137_

The next entry was rather strange and I was surprised that the writer was different. This was his first entry.

_Entry 13, Day 166_

_I am Terence Keller. I am the creator of the gear for Subject 14. She has shown significant improvements over the course of 166 days of her training in which she has reportedly strived to push herself to the absolute limit every day. I however find that ridiculous. The girl simply does not have motivation and I do not count a petty promise to Failed Subject 12 as a valid motivation. I have little hope in a successful surgery and operation with Subject 14 as for her there is a success rate of 48%. She has been warned of the statistics and refuses to back out._

_Her loss, I do not like the idea of another failure but it quickens the rate of time to successful results. Grendel's operation begins in a week's time. I don't believe in luck…so there is no reason to wish it upon her._

_End of Entry 13, Day 166_

I wasn't a fan of Terence Keller so far but the name sounded slightly familiar. I knew I had heard it somewhere before. Yet again there was another new person writing the next entry.

_Entry 14, Day 170_

_Well, I suppose to keep routine I should introduce myself. I am Henry Ficks. I will be performing the operation on Grendel…I don't believe she would like it if I referred to her as Subject 14 at present time. I have to agree with Terence now, even though I wish I didn't have to. But with the sudden turn of events and the effect it had on Grendel I am worried for her health. _

_Grendel was very close, too close I'm afraid, with Subject 12 Matthew Rings. They were like family and even called each other brother or sister respectively at times. However, Grendel has spiraled into a depression at an alarming fast rate as…well…Matthew Rings died the yesterday…March 28__th__, 2011 at 6:54 p.m. _

_Grendel was devastated and cried for hours. She won't eat, drink, or sleep as far as I know. She only mourns the death of her dearest friend. She won't even let Sherlock, a corporal who Grendel befriended a month ago named Juliet, in to see her and comfort her. I worry…she only has three days until the operation and she won't eat and Terence won't postpone the operation._

_I fear for Grendel's life…_

_End of Entry 14, Day 170_

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. How could Grendel make it through the operation if she was still in stages of shock, hurting, loss, and emotional distress? It did not add up at all…

_Entry 15, Day 173_

_This must be short as I only have 3 minutes before the next stage of the surgery must be performed. Grendel's physical state is poor but to everyone's shock her body is adapting to the implants and the necessary transfusions made to her body so she is not harmed by the devices. Something is amiss here but I'm not entirely sure what. _

_She's adapting without issue…most strange._

_Henry Ficks_

_End of Entry 15, Day 173_

That couldn't be right. If Grendel was in a sorry mourning state she should not have adapted to whatever they had done to her without issue. Then I looked at the day interval for the next entry and nearly choked on air…Day 219! That was May 16th, 2011 wasn't it…? I was too confused and curious, ashamed to say, to stop reading. I was shocked even further when I discovered Grendel was the one writing it.

_Entry 16, Day 219_

_So, they've been writing about me fifteen times already over a course of 219 days huh…makes me wonder what exactly was being passed around about me. It doesn't matter really…the only thing that's really been on my mind is the successful procedure and surgery…and then Matthew._

_God, I miss him so much…I didn't even get to say goodbye. I had just waltzed into the hospital wing expecting to see him there either watching the door for me or sticking his nose in a book and pretending not to have noticed me or acting like he hadn't been even waiting for me. He was always such a jokester…but instead I walked into a flurry of panic as I saw the doctors frantically rushing around Matthew as he heaved gasps of air and violently spasmed. _

_I remember screaming his name before Coach Riley dragged me from the Hospital Wing and I fought to look through the circular window on the locked Hospital doors. When I finally managed to get a look through the windows I burst into tears as I witnessed Matthews heart line go flat and die. I managed to watch my friend die and I couldn't take it. By then I was on the floor crying in Coach Riley's lap as he petted my hair awkwardly. Dr. Frays and Dr. Ficks both stood in front of the doors and watched me cry as they left the Hospital room. They stared at me with sympathetic looks and I couldn't take that. _

_I ended up locking myself in my room using a trick with the keypad controls that Matthew shared with me once. It always worked as he's had to wait 294 days before his operation. He'd had plenty of time to concoct elaborate plans to piss off Terence and I was more than happy to execute some of the ones he'd created after the fail for him…_

_Sorry…getting off track again. But I refused to eat, sleep, or drink anything as I mourned Matthew's death…and that's what saved me. The only reason the operation was a success was because my blood thinned and different chemical reactions were taking place during the period of time that I deliberately starved myself. Those chemicals that usually aren't naturally present in the human system blocked out some of the things that would have killed me and helped along the process. _

_I did suffer a critical amount of body fat and muscle loss though and that means I'm basically starting out like I did on the first day all over again. Otherwise I would have died…there was no other factoring in the equation that if Matthew hadn't died and I hadn't gone into a depression and starved my systems I would have died…_

_I don't know how to react to something like that…_

_But enough about that…I have to write another entry tomorrow about the implants so I'm going to be done for the day…Bye._

_End of Entry 16, Day 219_

I thought about that. She'd survived and I supposed it made sense but then I scowled. How was this supposed to inform me about her fighting? I sighed and looked at the clock. It was 0500 hours. Five in the morning already…then again with the other pages of pictures, graphs, statistics, photos, maps, and calculation for dates to refer back to I guess I shouldn't be so surprised…

I decided now would be a good time to turn it and get some sleep. I had nothing but leave time tomorrow since COBRA and other smaller groups or military functions were going through one of those scattered quiet periods. No doubt by the end of next week I would be off on another mission somewhere with the rest of the Alpha Team but until then I had intended to relax…

I grumbled a few sounds before clearing my bed of the documents and lying down to sleep. Ghost Girl was sure getting into things…maybe I wasn't entirely committed to teaching someone again so soon…

**~o~ The Next Day ~o~ Grendel ~o~**

I grunted in annoyance as something woke me up from my dream. What the hell. I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes before looking around. Nothing was different from how I'd left it. I scowled; I had a ton of work to complete today. I needed my sleep. Then I figured out what had woken me up as a knock sounded at my door. I checked the clock and snarled at the time.

"Who the fuck is so indecent that they wake someone up at four o'clock?" I growled in rage.

I threw open the door, no doubt looking beyond pissed and not exactly presentable at the point in time. I nearly rolled my eyes and slammed the door shut at the sight of my black clad ninja visitor.

_'Slam the door in his face.'_ My subconscious urged.

_'Quiet.'_ I snapped at her mentally and then rubbed my eyes and temples. "What do you want Snake Eyes?" I asked knowing full well my voice sounded annoyed and tired.

He said nothing but instead held up an all too familiar looking file. I sighed.

**~o~ Snake Eyes ~o~**

I grimaced behind my mask at the less-than-presentable look Ghost Girl was sporting at this hour in the morning. I supposed I shouldn't judge her though. It _was _four in the morning. She looked like she was holding back a snarl before she her expression changed to…well…the one she gets when she's arguing with herself…before rubbing her temples and glaring at me.

"What do you want Snake Eyes?" she asked showing no respect or remorse for her tone.

I held up her file and gestured to it. Her expression changed from sleepy and annoyed to weary and understanding. "So you looked through my files huh?" she said.

I nodded and was about to gesture for her to explain until…

"So, I bet you're wondering where the rest of it is, am I right?" she sighed.

I jolted. There was more?! It hadn't occurred to me that there could be more to it. I looked back at Ghost Girl who was giving me a blank look. I raised an eyebrow at her from behind my mask.

"It seriously didn't occur to you that there was more? Did you even read the last couple of pages?" she asked flatly.

I crossed my arms in annoyance and scowled. I shook my head, giving a 'negative' to both of her questions. She snickered. "I don't even know why in the hell you're going through my history but personally you wouldn't have that file if you didn't get permission from either Baker or Splint. So why do you have that file?" she asked.

_"It was supposed to explain why you're no longer a noncombatant…why you don't fight." _I signed a little quicker, silently evaluating her progress with ASL.

"Oh, well heh," she giggled a little, "Is that the real reason?" she asked with a grin.

I hesitantly nodded in affirmation and in return Ghost Girl snorted.

"Uh, Snake, if that's what you needed then you didn't really need to read anything out of the first half besides..._maybe _the last four pages." She laughed.

I stared at her slack-jawed behind my mask and then I silently groaned. All the time and effort was for nothing…I felt grumpy.

"Okay, but anyway…bring the first half here at around err…seven-ish tonight and I'll go over the other half with you." She told me.

I was not alright with that. Since when did a possible student of mine command me? This was starting to become more trouble than it was worth.

_"You do not order me around Corporal."_ I signed agitatedly.

"Whatever," she scowled and took hold of the door, "Don't come, maybe I don't want to train anyway." She snapped and slammed the door in my face.

I was seething as I stalked angrily back to my quarters. What a disrespectful little brat. What gave her the right to say things like that? Angrily I spun on my heel and all but stomped into a nearly empty gym. The gym was soon cleared from everyone but me and Sgt. Splint who was coming in now looking amused.

"Give up on Grendel?" he asked.

I sharply nodded. This was more trouble than what it was worth anyway.

"Shame, it probably would have been worth the time and frustration. I can guarantee you've never had to train someone like you would have had to train her." Sgt. Splint laughed.

I glared at him and sharply turned away. He was crazy…a liar! Training her would have been no different from anyone else.

"You don't think so, huh? Then tell me, Snake Eyes, how to phantoms and ghosts move around?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes and moodily signed 'they float' with one hand without even tossing a glance towards Sgt. Splint. However I did glance momentarily when Sgt. Splint let loose a dark knowing laugh.

"That's right Snake Eyes; they float. Now, that's what you're missing. That's what Project Phantom was all about. They were trying to use technological implants surgically installed in human soldiers to enable them to move and act like a phantom. Grendel was the only success…even if it was only for a few short years." He paused, "You just said phantoms and ghosts float, right? However a synonym for float can be flying. Now, given that, what do you think they were enabling Grendel to do?" he asked.

I turned to face him, angry yet somehow intrigued again. I gestured for him to go on. He nodded.

"Well, using the special implants stated in those files Grendel did some things for a while that no other human soldier could do. Now, if you want to teach someone in a way never done before I suggest you meet Grendel later like she undoubtedly asked of you." Sgt. Splint then smirked, "I can assure you that you will learn more teaching her than she'll learn from you at least half the time."

**~o~ Grendel ~o~ Six O'clock ~o~**

I sighed in exhaustion but in relief and release as well. The assault vehicle was _finally _done and I couldn't be happier! I stretched out my back. After a full day of mopping, cleaning, and putting the final touches on a beautiful assault vehicle I was ready to turn in for the day…besides…I had mopped the shit out of those halls this morning.

I said goodbye to Upstart and Booker as I left the lab and shimmied out of my lab coat as I walked down the hallways and corridors to my room. However, I was greeted with a wave of déjà vu at the sight of a black clad ninja leaning against my door…

_Again…_

"Well, there goes my good night of sleep." I muttered.

**~o~**

**Well, typed up two chapters in one day…heh, I'll probably post this next week! See ya'll later Kay?**

**Please review!**

**Gotta Bounce,**

**Songbird 0.o**


	9. Entries of the Second Degree

**Teaching the Unpredictable 9**

**Yup, here's the ninth chapter a long time arriving. I know that this seems like a slow chapter but it had to be done.**

**~o~ Snake Eyes ~o~**

I sat on the floor of Grendel's quarters as she hurried around the room in a somewhat hyper fashion. She was collecting different pieces of paper and putting them on the bed whenever she passed it to cross the room. After ten more minutes of impatiently watching her flit around the room she sat on her bed and began to sort the pages from what it looked like. It took her seven minutes to sort through and organize her papers but she finally finished and held the folder tightly to her chest.

"You know, instead of staring at me the entire time you could have been reading those other entries." She sighed.

I shrugged indifferently. Admittedly, there was still a fair amount of tension I felt from this morning. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, to be sitting in this Delta level soldier's quarters, reading through her history, and having yet to find out exactly why I had to do this. It was hard to believe this would all be worth it in the end…

With another silent sigh, I picked up the first folder and took out the last two entries.

_Entry 17, Day 220_

_As the last entry provided, Grendel Whimsker is going to be writing this entry…that would be me. So apparently I'm supposed to give the report, in my own words, about how the implants they gave me work. So…I guess I'll start with the minor implants and that stuff. So…the least…I guess important is a word to use…the least important implant would be…The Cloaking Device. _

_Okay so, basically the thing is has the same effect as Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak; except my version is a little different. Instead of a cloth you wear, it's this tiny band located in my right forearm. It's settled on the bone and neutralized to the nerves so the exposed nerve endings aren't agitated by the metal. In a way the device is secured, for lack of a better word, to my forearm bone. So what it does is basically there's a command code given to the device when the device feels pressure put on it in the correct sequence. _

_Okay, so when the sequence activates the device releases these nanomite bugs filled with chemicals and alterations that can change the color of my skin pigment like a chameleon. So when I move my skin changes to match the background. It hurts a little now but the doctors and scientists say that over time when my body adjusts to the nanomites, and when they adjust to me, the pain will decrease and become nonexistent as the self-corrective technology will accommodate my bodily structure…I will admit I quoted most of that from my doctor._

_Anyway, the next device, out of the three, would probably be the Phase Shifter. The thing is one of the reasons I am called Ghost Girl. So, the Phase Shifter makes altercations to my atomized structure and when the EM field it generates meshes the matter or atoms from the object in front of me, with the atoms and molecules from my body, it allows them to be scrambled at high speeds, too fast for the human eyes to catch. So in a way not unlike a ghost, I can go through/phase through walls, floors, doors…sand and other things. The cool part is that it's instant. There's usually no pain, the only risk would be a malfunction as that would result in getting stuck inside a wall…_

_Not fun…_

_But that's all I've got for now, well…time-wise…the coach is calling for me. I'll write more in entry eighteen._

_End of Entry 17, Day 220_

I hoped Grendel hadn't noticed my reaction…I was floored. I thought that she'd been altered physically as in steroids and such…but it seemed as if the doctors…were creating a cyborg of some sort. They had a way to phase her through wall and a device that cloaked her movements. If those were the minors…then what exactly was the major?

I fingered the paper thoughtfully. What had Sgt. Slade been getting at here? Grendel could have become a number of things through those two items alone…what was the big secret here?

_Entry 18, Day 232_

_The last of my entries for a while now…I mean, I'm Grendel…oh whoever reads this probably doesn't care. Even without the name my writing style is different from everyone else's. So, I was going to explain the final piece of tech…let's start with that…_

_It's pretty hard to imagine this…but picture a beetle. Now picture that beetle as made of silver metal…while at the same time being about as long as from your elbow to your fingertips, while at the same time being about two or three inches thick, and has little wing tips sticking out its back for flying._

_That's basically what they surgically attached to my spine. The winglets, well I call them bitlets, are basically supposed to stay in me for another five weeks, or was it months…? Um, well for an indefinite amount of time they have to stay inside me. The atomic and molecular structure was designed to copy the material of and become an extension of whatever it was attached to. So as the thing sits inside me, it's basically becoming an extension of my spine. The bitlets will be activated by aerials…flips for those who aren't gymnasts, and the loss of a flat support force can activate them. A simple jump can't accomplish the length needed for the starting sequence, so I have to jump and flip…high…they say it doesn't matter if it looks to me like I'm going to land on my neck and kill myself when I come down because the bitlets will come out before that happens but…honestly…_

_Raise your hand if you trust that theory…?_

_I didn't raise my hand…_

_They call it a Devcon...he detaches too, but I can't do that yet. He's supposed to also have AI (Artificial Intelligence) right now so he/it can help with sequences. So basically after the transition from metal to spine and nerves is complete I can release them from my back…but it'll take another six weeks for them to harden so when exposed to high winds I don't black out from pain and die…_

_I mean they're exposed extensions of my nerve bone…it's a look and don't freaking touch type of thing…even I know without help it's a disaster. _

_So during those six weeks I'm going to have to stay in a little white room with no air and or elements while air and food is given to me through and oxygen mask and little tubes…and don't ask about, err, the bathroom thing…_

I briefly looked up at Grendel. She seemed to know exactly which part I was at and replied to my silent questions.

"Seriously, do NOT bring up the bathroom thing. That room was a living hell…and trust me…it ain't…just…read the stupid paper." She flustered.

I shrugged indifferently, as even though I was close to having my eyes bulge out of my mask, and continued to read.

_When all is said and done I should be able to…guess…guess! _

_FLY_

_Cool right? I thought that it was pretty sick…in a good way...So yeah, that's pretty much the whole shebang I'm dealing with right now. I hope I can survive the preparations! Wish me luck oh faithful mystery reader!  
_

_End of Entry 18, Day 232 (TTYL)_

I realized, to my annoyance, that my hands…were shaking. If you put all of those items together, I glanced at Grendel; the girl truly was a living, breathing, and an utterly real Phantom. She flew, she phased, and she disappeared. How was I going to teach her while including all these aspects?

"I can kinda tell that you've got questions…if you're still willing. Most just decline helping me and deny ever reading my files. But if you're willing to teach me, I can answer your concerns…um, questions." Grendel said from an awkward perch on her bed.

More than anything I wanted to know one thing.

**'Can I see your winglets?' **I signed.

"I don't know what that meant…but you want to see them…don't you?" she guessed slyly.

With an inaudible growl, I sharply nodded. She became a little serious looking. She paced for a moment and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I need you to keep in mind, that at one time during…training, my original set was damaged. These, the ones have now, are merely hasty repairs. To get the real effect I need my old ones. So, don't expect any flying today." She warned me.

I began to sign again but she raised a single digit. "Only one question at a time, boss." She snickered.

She suddenly fell on all fours and went into a bear crawl position. She began to shake and whimpered a little. Out of concern I moved forward.

"Don't," she barked out, "Don't move, I'm fine…"

With a slight cry, ten metallic structures ripped from the skin on her back and seemed to shoot through her clothing. Her broken and slightly bleeding skin immediately healed around the metal and sealed up. The extensions looked awkward so one could easily tell she was not fitted for these and the weld lines I could see were hastily done.

I wasn't focused on that though. Ten metal bitlets, five on each side of her spine, awkwardly clung to some unknown clasp under her skin. She shakily got to her feet and, panting hard, limply stood up with beads of sweat running down her face, arms, and legs.

She gave me a hard and battle worn stare that didn't belong on her face. The steely glare was what froze me in place.

"This is me, this is what you are going to have to deal with…are you willing to try and teach me?" she asked in an icy tone.

Something changed then; I don't know what exactly, but I felt it. I was willing to learn and so was she. She was willing to fight for this and so was I. We were both ready to learn something new…It was like a dam had just broke inside. Gone away, for now was my pain and worries of what would happen with my teammates. But a willingness to teach someone, and to learn, I found a determination I hadn't felt in a very long time…

This intensity was equal, if not more, to the one I felt when deciding to teach Scarlett. She was a pupil who got back up without complaint and did not stop until she _learned _and gained _control_.

I nodded without hesitation to Grendel whose smile lit up the dark room. I was willing to try and teach a truly unpredictable person.

**~o~**

**Err…umm…*falls over* Gah, guys…I am so sorry! I'm a bad author. *Slaps wrist vigorously* "Bad author!" **

**Um, yeah, so this was…yeah this was late! But oh, *Grins like an idiot* the love, I can feel the love emanating from the computer! You guys are awesome-sauce! The seven new reviews I got from crystal just yesterday nearly made me fall off my stool! I was like…I had eighteen…now I've got twenty-five…MAGIC! All of you are so great!**

**I want to hug you like a panda…just without all the messy rabid panda mauling…**

**Um, that was sorta random but yeah! I luv all of ya'll!**

**Chow, **

**Songbird 0.o**


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